Eighteen months ago, we challenged the federal government to establish 12 new marine protected areas by the end of 2012.

As 2013 begins, we’ve seen significant progress on four of the sites, some progress on four and no progress at all on the remaining four. Of the 12 sites we identified, not one has received final legal protection as a marine protected area, and the proposed conservation measures for all of them need strengthening to guarantee their long-term health. Read the report here.

So what can you do?

Take a moment now to add your voice for protecting our oceans. Join the call to speed up progress on protecting these 12 important marine sites and establishing full networks of marine protected areas – in the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Arctic Oceans. We’ll be continuing to work with federal, provincial, territorial and indigenous governments to get the job done. Your voice will help!

Add your voice for protecting Canada’s oceans!
The federal government has made a commitment to establish a network of marine protected areas in Canada but so far, progress has been painfully slow. The government needs to speed up progress on marine protection if we are going to meet our international commitment to protect 10% of our coastal and marine resources by 2020. That’s the next crucial step we need to take on the way to protecting enough of our oceans to conserve their amazing biodiversity for our children and theirs to come.

So far, over 13,000 people have signed the pledge to support advancing marine conservation in Canada. Add your voice to help us reach our goal of establishing 12 new marine protected areas and networks of marine protected areas in all of our oceans!

Sign the pledge:

I support protecting Canada’s oceans. I urge governments to quickly establish 12 new marine protected areas recommended by CPAWS and create networks of marine protected areas in all of our oceans.

Well I got right on that and added my voice to the cause…Canada’s oceans teeming with life must be protected.